


Echoes of You

by nyghtrain



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Reincarnation, Soulmates, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 15:00:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2392559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyghtrain/pseuds/nyghtrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto knows the sound of his soulmates’s voices. It is a bittersweet sound.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited and unbetaed.

Makoto's eyes snapped open and he jerked up, gasping for breath. His was covered in sweat. His shirt clung to his chest, hot and sticky. He grabbed it and tugged it over his head and tossed it to the floor. He gulped down another breath as his tried to remember his dream. Flashes of snow tainted red, broken words. He shook his head, dispelling the images. Maybe he didn't want to remember after all.

 

He pushed his blanket back and climbed out of bed. He padded across the small glass container that glowed lightly. He picked it up and then sat on the floor. Very carefully, he pried open the cork top. Then he shook out the two papers. He didn't always need both, but tonight he did. Carefully, he unfurled the papers. Two voices spoke to him. The voices beautiful, no matter what the words said.

 

These were the voices of his soulmates, the ones who was meant to be, with the words that would change his life for good or bad. One of the voices he knew, the other one he didn't. He closed is eyes and smiled, just letting the words run over him, until he felt himself drifting to sleep. Carefully, before he could fall asleep, Makoto rolled up the two thin pieces of paper and put it back into his soul jar, tucking the cork topper back in it's place.

 

Then he crawled back into his bed and hoped for no more dreams.

 

It was the next day, when he convinced Rin to swim against Iwatobi at the Splashfest that Makoto heard the second voice.

 

He was greeting Gou, after she rushed up to him. His voice was deep with an almost stoniness to it, but Makoto had heard how that voice could change, like a river rushing over stone, smoothing its edges.

 

"You remember this guy, right? Yamazaki Sousuke," Rin said with a grin. Rin's voice was confident, cool, Just a little deep. A voice Makoto had heard so many times, both in and outside of the soul bottle.

 

The two voices complemented each other, sliding against one another in a way that made his chest thump hard. Though it wasn't the first time Makoto had met Sousuke, it was the first time he heard the older Sousuke's voice. He felt like he should have been surprised to discover that Sousuke was the other voice in his soul bottle, but somehow, something in him knew it would be something like this. After all, the fate of a person with two papers in their soul bottle would always be a painful one.

 

He remembered his mother looking at him sadly. _One day, you'll have to choose._

 

"Hey, Sousuke, let's go," Rin said, slinging an arm around Sousuke's shoulder. There was a joyfulness in Rin's face Makoto had never seen before. And that same happiness was reflected in Sousuke's teal eyes.

 

They were important to each other. The same way Haru was important to Makoto.

 

Sousuke let out a grunt and turned, but as he did, for a moment, Makoto's eyes met his. Time froze and then suddenly it moved fast, dashing towards the past and he could see so many things, Sousuke's face, the anger, the joy, the slide of hot sweat-soaked bodies as they moan, and through it all a love so painful it felt like it was choking him.

 

Makoto blinked and everything was normal. Sousuke turned away and Makoto was left breathless.

 

It wasn't the first time Makoto had experienced this. He felt he should have been prepared, but he wasn't. Instead he could only stand there and watch as his two soulmates walked away from him, their shoulders brushing. Two best friends.

 

"What if I don't choose," Makoto said softly.

 

"Makoto?"

 

Makoto jerked and turned around. Haru was looking at him, frowning.

 

"I'm fine," Makoto said and smiled.

 

Haru gave him a searching look before turning around and walking to the pool. Makoto hurried after him, deciding, right then and there, it was better to not choose, even if it meant he would destine him to be alone forever. At least, this way, he wouldn't destroy what Rin and Sousuke had.

 

And, still, at least he still had the sound of their voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You will notice this chapter is pretty short. Each chapter is supposed to be short since it's a series written in drabble (who knows if I keep to that though).
> 
> Updates to this will probably be sporadic, since I have some fics before this I want to focus on, but since the chapters are shorter the updates might be frequent.


	2. Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke has always been loyal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Lightly edited and unbetaed.

There were many characteristics that might describe Sousuke - stoic, serious, and smug were a few, but the trait that stood at his core was loyal. It defined him in everything he did. Someone might confuse it to dedication, but dedication can change, but not loyalty. It stood the test of time, of changing schools, and different countries.

 

Everything he did seemed to somehow connect to his loyalty to Rin. A loyalty that would never change, because Sousuke knew that it was deeper than loyalty, something far deeper that he couldn't bear to look at, because it would have to be - had to be- just loyalty.

 

He managed to be loyal to that Rin-shaped indention inside of him, through the lost moments, through the lonely hours, the harsh training, the twisted shoulder, and broken dreams. Always and he planned to continue to do so. Therefore _it_ bothered him.

 

It being the way his eyes trailed after a sculpted back and trim hips. A smile that was sunshine purified and bright green eyes. The way the man wore his flaws on his sleeves. How he managed to somehow be completely open, yet closed at the same time. He was a contradiction in everything he did. From the big body with the bigger heart, to the few times he managed to see him startle and try to squeeze behind Nanase's back.

 

Why him? A man who instantly Sousuke felt challenged the bonds he held with Rin even as he did nothing.

 

A wet hand slapped him against his back. "You're glaring again."

 

"Am I?" Sousuke asked as he turned to Rin.

 

Rin rolled his eyes. "What do you have against them anyway?"

 

Sousuke walked towards the starting block and pulled down his goggles. He glanced back at Rin who was scowling at him, or it should have been a scowl, but Sousuke read it as more like pouting. Sousuke grinned.

 

"They're distracting." Sousuke dived in, letting the water purge him.

 

That night Sousuke woke up gasping. The dream was one of many, but when he tried to grasp hold of it, it slid away. All he could remember was that it had Rin in it and Mako-no, Tachibana, always Tachibana - in it. He had been dreaming of Tachibana since the day their eyes first met at Splashfest. Dreams that always woke him, filling him with dread, guilt, and a longing so deep that he had to just lay there catching his breath.

 

There was movement and then a soft whine. Sousuke evened out his breathing and tried to pretend he was asleep. The whining and moaning grew louder, and then a soft gasp, so soft, Sousuke wished he couldn't hear it, but he did.

 

"Makoto." Rin's voice was filled with something deep and wanting and then it came, the desperation, the hint of tears, all held in a single word. "Makoto."

The bed below him jerked abruptly. Rin waking up, followed by harsh gulping breath. "Shit."

 

Then Rin was lying down.

 

Sousuke waited, silently begging in his head. _Please, go back to sleep. Please._

 

There was quiet and then movement. The sound of shifting clothes followed by a low groan. Then the slap of skin, hesitant, teasing, then moving faster, stroking rough and tight. He heard the slap of a hand, Rin trying to stifle his moan, but Rin was a person who was overflowing with a passion that could never be stifled. He moaned louder, and Sousuke, hung on to every sound, his own cock hard and leaking.

 

He wanted to reach out and touch himself, to come to the sound of Rin getting off at the thought of Makoto, and he knew that was all kinds of messed up. His hand twitched and he remained still, taking in every moan, every jerk of skin against skin and closed his eyes tightly, keeping his breathing even, as he thought of silky red hair and impossibly bright green eyes.

 

Then there was a loud jerk and Sousuke could imagine Rin arching off the bed as white seed splashed across his hands and over his firm thighs. He almost groaned, but managed to bite back the noise.

 

Ragged breathing filled the air followed by harsh laughter. "Fuck."

 

There was the sound of movement, then the soft pad of Rin walking as he made his way to the bathroom and quietly shut the door.

 

Sousuke let out a breath and tried to think of everything he could to make his erection go down. It was the thought of Rin's tears, the hurt of betrayal flashing in his eyes that finally made him go soft.

 

They ran into the Iwatobi team weeks later. As luck would have it, they ended up at the same hotel. Sousuke had gotten into the habit of never looking directly at Tachibana during these times. There was talk that Sousuke only vaguely listened to before heading to the room he shared with Rin.

 

"It's not fair," Rin said abruptly as they stepped into the room.

 

Sousuke looked up, surprised.

 

Rin frowned and then he met Sousuke's eyes and for one dreadful moment, Sousuke thought Rin might know. Might know everything, but then Rin turned, abruptly.

 

"Don't you ever think it's unfair," Rin asked.

 

Sousuke swallowed. "It depends on what you're talking about."

 

Rin laughed, but it was filled with glass. "The soul mate thing. Somewhere out there, someone has a bottle with the sound of my voice, so I have to wait until they decide to make a move. Why can't we all get that bottle? Why does it just have to be one person holding your fate in their hands?"

 

"You used to think it was romantic," Sousuke said.

 

"Yeah, I did. I guess I grew up," Rin said sadly.

 

I swallowed. "Do you know...who it is?"

 

"No," Rin said scornfully. "If I did I would do something."

 

"Would you?" Sousuke asked. It was a stupid question. Of course Rin would. Rin was all hot emotions and grabbing what he wanted, except, right now...

 

Rin balled up his fist. "If I knew it was him," he mumbled.

 

Sousuke was silent. Rin had said that last part so low, low enough that Sousuke wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear it.

 

"Forget it," Rin said. "I'm going to check on Haru." Then he was walking away with a short wave, shutting the door behind him.

 

Sousuke slumped down on his bed. "Liar."

 

He laid back.

 

Loyalty had always been Sousuke's core. But there was another part, intertwined.

 

 

Sousuke had a lot of secrets he kept. Secrets about swimming, about being scouted, about his shoulders, but especially about falling in love with his best friend, of loving him more than anything. Of dedicating a life of loyalty to him, only to have it threatened by meeting green eyes.

 

Sousuke was loyal, but he was also a man of secrets. And he always would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for all the comments and kudos! I really hope you enjoy this next part. As you can see, this story is going to be a bit angsty. Next part will be Rin's POV, which should shed some light on what's really going on and answer questions about how the soulmate thing works.


End file.
